The present invention relates to a user friendly, accurate system for performing soil percolation tests to determine the suitability of a parcel of land to support a structure, and its related water run-off capabilities, constructed on such parcel.
The use of percolation tests in soil testing, such as to determine proper sewage disposal systems is well known in the art. Basically, the testing requires a time determination for the water to be absorbed into the soil at a specific location. This is normally accomplished by providing a test hole, filling the hole with a quantity of water, floating an indicator on the fluid surface and timing the period for the indicator to drop a certain distance, or conversely, recording the various distances dropped with respect to a fixed time period. This timing may take a relatively long period and the cost of performing such a simple percolation test may be relatively expensive.
This simple process has been made more difficult by certain health standards that require that the water remain in the test hole for a predetermined period before the actual percolation test is performed. This time is termed a saturation time or soak time and a percolation test is performed prior to a standard for saturation is, in many cases, held to be invalid. Obviously, if personnel is required to continually monitor this dual test situation, the cost of testing becomes extremely high.
Recognizing the need for better and more accurate systems for performing soil percolation tests, the prior art, as reflected in the following U.S. patents, has developed various means in attempts to meet these challenges, namely:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,247, to Anderson, teaches apparatus for performing soil percolation tests, where such apparatus includes a housing member having upper and lower portions, with the lower portion adapted for insertion into a soil percolation test opening in the soil. A depth gauging member is mounted within the housing member for transitional movement with respect to the housing member. The soil percolation test opening is filled to a predetermined level with water and the depth gauging member translated to a position indicative of the water level. After a predetermined time the water level in the percolation test opening falls due to absorption by the soil and the depth gauging member is translated into a new position indicative of the new water level. Calibration markings on the housing permit a direct reading of the amount by which the depth gauging member has been translated, which corresponds to the amount of the water level in the percolation test opening has fallen. The housing member is also provided with a timer and with facilities for introducing water into the percolation test opening. PA1 b.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,406, to Fulkerson, relates to a device for the automatic determination and recordation of rates of fluid absorption in soils, including a plurality of conductive probes which are positioned at various levels with regard to a provided water level such that the water level drops, and the time to accomplish the drop is recorded. The device provides a pair of timing and time recording devices interconnected with the probes such that the two individual time sequences may be recorded. PA1 c.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,157, to Fink, discloses percolation testing apparatus comprising an elongated guide rod having one end to be driven into the bottom of a test hole for simple and sole support of the rod. Mounted within is a gauge rod slidable by means of guide brackets on the latter and a scale strip is attached to the upper end of the gauge rod for vertical movement relative to a reference marker supported adjustably upon the upper portion of the said guide rod. A float is connected to the lower level end of the gauge rod for floating movement vertically in the test hole to move the scale strip relative to the reference marker which is stationary on the guide rod. PA1 d.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,110, to Block, teaches an apparatus for automatically recording the rate of fluid absorption of soil and includes three subsystems which may be easily assembled on site. During a test procedure the rate of dissent of a float is recorded on a tape by a timer controlled marker. PA1 e.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,290 to Jewell, discloses a float valve assembly for soil percolation measurements. The float valve assembly, integral with a water supply system, responds to changes in a predetermined water level inside a test bore to regulate water flow through the float valve into the bore to maintain this water level. The float valve assembly can be positioned at different depths below the ground level by suspension at the lower end of a premarked flexible hose hanging freely inside the test bore. The float valve housing is open at its lower end, so that water around it in the test bore can raise the float within to throttle the water flowing down through a reducer at the end of the hose and directly above the float. After an initial transient stage, the water in the test bore percolates away from the test bore through the soil around it at a steady rate, measured to obtain the steady state percolation rate at that site at the selected depth. PA1 f.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,817, to Kozlowski, relates to a soil percolation testing system. The system includes a threaded shaft; a plurality of marking discs that can be selectively positioned along the shaft at predetermined graduations; a positioning brace that overlies the shaft for securing the shaft in vertical alignment; a mounting disc affixed near a base end of the shaft and becomes flush with the soil when the shaft is inserted into a percolation test hole; and a receiving disc near a top end of the shaft for receiving the positioning brace as it straddles the test hole. In using the device, the person administering the test adjusts the marking discs along the shaft to predetermined graduations; secures the device within a percolation test hole; fills the hole with water, observes from a remote distance the descent of the column of water within the hole; observes the formation of meniscus around a first marking disc below which the column of water has descended; and records the time variable when a wave appears on the surface of the water resulting from the snap of meniscus as the column of water descends further below the first and subsequent marking discs. PA1 g.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,447, to Phillips, teaches a soil percolation testing apparatus. The apparatus has a hollow shaft for insertion into a test hole and includes vertically adjustable wedging blades slidable and T-tracks on the shaft for centering alignment in the test hole. A hand pump evacuates water from the test hole to a predetermined null point whereupon movement of a float and float rod supported and guided within the shaft over a finite period of time will yield a direct percolation absorption rate.
While the foregoing offer some solutions to the problem of determining percolation rates of selected soil sites, none appear as user friendly and simple as provided by the present invention. The manner by which such goals are achieved herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.